Reprogramming your mindset for success

Our success in life so much depends on the way our mindset has been programmed. The programming of the mindset is a continuous exercise from childhood and throughout our adult life. We can program our mindset under two modes namely fixed mindset and growth mindset. Fixed mindset people believe their capacity to change the environment around them is fixed while growth mindset people believe they can develop or acquire the capacity to change the environment around them.

Assembling and programming of equipment

Programming our mindset has some resemblance to the process of assembling a computer and installing an operating system. The performance of the computer will very much depend on how the assembling and installation of programs is done! The process may affect the performance of the computer and may even create risks to the users of the computer. The computer may crash! Let us now compare this with the programming of the human mind as discussed in the next paragraph.

The human being operating system

There is little human interference with the assembly of human body which comes complete with the operating system, the mind. The mind of the baby at birth has minimal programs installed on it but is ready for installation of programs with information from the environment. At this stage the mind is neither a fixed nor growth mindset. The baby at birth cannot understand most things around it and its physical survival depends on the parents.

Program installation process

The installation of programs on the human mind can be compared to the programs installed by owners of computers on their sets. What is installed depends on the owner. For example I have installed music, videos, games, adope reader, internet, Prezi, anti-virus, micro soft office and others on my set. Therefore whatever is installed on the computer depends on the owner. Unfortunately many of us take our children as our own computer and we tend to install anything on their mind including fear, hatred, radical religion belief, positivity and negativity cultures, superiority and inferiority complexes among other things. We forget our children in order to succeed in their life will require an independent mind. The programs we install in the mind of children can make the attainment of independent mind impossible!

Independent mindset

In order to succeed in life as a grown up, you have to be a master of your own destiny. Success or failure in life depends 100% on you and not on your parents, friends, society and others. The decision to succeed or fail has to be made by you and is never a collective decision. You can make a rational decision if you have an independent mindset. But there is a question to ask yourself of whether it is possible to have an independent mindset when other people have installed programs in your mind according to their personal interests. The answer for sure is no. Then what do most of us do to have an independent mindset? This is explained in the next paragraph.

How to achieve an independent mindset

You can achieve an independent mindset through applying the replacement principle. Replace all negative thoughts with positive thoughts. The replacement principle is explained in the Bible as follows;

“Finally, brothers, let your minds be filled with everything that is true, everything that is honourable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire — with whatever is good and praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8).

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About The Author

John Muhaise-Bikalemesa (JMB), a Certified Public Accountant , with over 35 years’ experience in business strategy, capacity building, business risk management , diagnostic studies, tax advisory, project management, due diligence and feasibility studies, business plan development, capital raising, business and share valuations, business development, assurance services , institutional development and diagnostic studies across various sectors. John has traveled widely across Africa and provided strategic and thought leadership direction to various organisations in Africa and beyond.